How We Are All Students Of The Digital Life

Humanity hasn’t been one to thoroughly test new inventions before using them. We’re more of a learn-as-we-go type of species.

For example, we’ve incorporated all kinds of funky things into our everyday lives. We rely on a small slab made of plastic and glass to keep in touch with family and friends, navigate for us while on the road, and keep us entertained with all types of online content. Innovative technologies are part of our everyday routine.

Internet connectivity across all devices like Smartphones, PC’s, tablets, and even objects as large as our homes (IoT) has ushered us into a Digital Lifestyle. And we’re all learning together along the way, making us all students of (digital) life. Here’s what we’ve learned so far.

Will The Digital Lifestyle Help Or Hurt?

Like everything else in life, the {ijseo_redirect id=376}. The obvious plus side is social connection is easier, quicker, and more efficient than ever. Digital communication is so efficient, we don’t even need to talk to each other anymore. Social connection has increased in quantity, but decreased in quality.

On the bright side, no one can deny the huge, huge benefit of constant and easy connection to information via the constant internet connection. Knowledge is power. And the internet has turned traditional hierarchies on its head. Everyday people can become global superstars without ever setting foot in Hollywood. Social movements and awareness spread like wildfire on social media.

The lack of online privacy and security is also an uncomfortable reality of the digital lifestyle as it exists today. People are unfairly exploited and datamined for their online content every time they go online (and people are constantly online). It doesn’t have to be this way. Swomi aims to provide the technology to help people receive the benefits from their online activity, not online corporate behemoths.

How Do We Relate To One Another Online?

According to research, nothing still beats face-to-face, real-space, IRL hanging out with real people. Among college students, there has been a 40% decline in characteristics of empathy among college students. It’s the wild west out there. We are still learning {ijseo_redirect id=377} and have healthy online boundaries, etiquette, and civility. What will our social lives look like 100 years from now? Our mission here at Swomiis to put relationships front and center in the digital world because we believe in people.

We also need to consider how the workplace will be fundamentally transformed due to automation and artificial intelligence. When you go to work (if you still have a job and haven’t moved onto becoming the awesome entrepreneur we know you can become), expect to interact a lot more with robots. Combined with virtual reality, it seems the Digital Lifestyle is moving more towards individual isolation. Technology is just a tool, after all. We receive the results based on how we use technology. For technology to bring more meaningful human connection, we have to value human relationships then create the technology that focuses on people.

When Digital Lifestyles Become Second Nature

When was the last time you thought of your smartphone as a mind-blowing, intense miracle? When you first used your phone? Everyday? Never crossed your mind?

Now imagine how William, an 1800’s leisurely gentleman, would react to your smartphone. William would be shocked out of his monocle and flabbergasted that this sorcery exists.

And that’s exactly the point. It’s obvious we already do exactly that when we grumble about how these epic feats of technology aren’t connecting to Wifi fast enough.

Living the Digital Lifestyle has become second nature to us. Increasingly, the Digital Lifestyle will become inseparable from who we are.

Word Up

The Digital Lifestyle is here to stay. The pros outweigh the cons. We choose to embrace it and make technology work best for humanity rather than deny the Digital Lifestyle is already here. And the Digital Lifestyle has so much potential to become even better and more empowering for everyday people. Our mission is to create a positive, empowering future for everyday people.

This article is letter (S) of our “Digi Lifestyle" series where we write an article for each letter of the phrase. “Digital Lifestyle" Before anyone realized, we all became immersed and intertwined to our digital devices and internet connection. By laying out a theme related to the Digital Lifestyle everyday, we learned valuable insights into the mindsets, behaviors, and norms that sprout from living so intimately with technology.